In a mobile communication system, a radio base station for public communications is generally configured to be operated and managed constantly by a network operator after start of its operation. This configuration allows the radio base station for public communications to respond to randomly transmitted connection requests from mobile stations.
For example, a network administrator starts operation of a radio base station for public communications in the following manner.
(1) Install a radio base station for public communications, connect lines and so forth, and then turn on the radio base station to thereby open a line between itself and an upper node (such as a radio control device).
(2) Set operation parameters to be used in the radio base station for public communications, via a network or by manual input.
After the operation is started with the settings of the parameters reflected therein, the radio base station for public communications continuously provides a communication service with the least disconnection except for a case where the radio base station needs to be restarted due to a failure, a change in the device configuration, or the like.
In a case of removing such a radio base station for public communications, the radio base station for public communications is caused to stop the provision of the communication service and is then turned off.
Note that basically the same operation as the radio base station for public communications is likely to be carried out for a radio base station installed to a small area such as a home, which is referred to as a “home radio base station (Home eNB).”